


I Used to be Too Self Conscious

by RaaorQtpbpdy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: "You Can't Prove It's NOT Canon", 3+1, Cute Yamaguchi Tadashi, Fluff, Implied at the End, Like, M/M, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, POV Outsider, Protective Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi Headcanons, more like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaaorQtpbpdy/pseuds/RaaorQtpbpdy
Summary: There are some things that Hinata expects, and then there's seeing his teammate casually wearing a skirt in public because "Tsukki says they look good on me."(AKA three times Yamaguchi surprised Hinata, and the one time it all made sense.)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 237





	I Used to be Too Self Conscious

—1—

Personally, I find it super awkward to run into people I know from school in any environment other than school. Shoyo Hinata, to my knowledge, has never shared that opinion. When Hinata happened to see his teammate Tsukkishima from the volleyball club while he was out shopping on a weekend during summer break, he didn't turn away and avoid eye-contact, nor did he send a silent prayer to the heavens, asking that Tsukkishima mercifully wouldn't notice him.

Hinata grinned and started to walk toward Tsukkishima, waving. A moment before he shouted his teammate's name, he noticed that Tsukkishima wasn't alone. The second person's face and upper body was obscured by a hanging plant, but Hinata could see a green skirt and a pair of long, strong legs. Was Tsukkishima on a date? Did he have a girlfriend?

The girl must've been tall, and Hinata would bet she played a sport, maybe even volleyball. Some people, myself included, upon assuming that he was on a date, would politely leave them alone. That is, provided we thought to approach in the first place, which I, for one, would not, as I mentioned before. Hinata, on the other hand, only became more curious. What kind of girl would put up with Tsukkishima, literally the worst person Hinata could think of. He wanted to know, so he didn't stop.

"Tsukkishima!" Hinata called out, waving. Tsukkishima turned to look in his direction, as Hinata jogged up, and the girl took a step forward to look around the hanging plant which had been obscuring her face. Hinata was shocked to discover that the girl was in fact not a girl, but Yamaguchi.

"Oh, hey Hinata," Yamaguchi said amiably.

"Ya—Yamaguchi!" Hinata stammered.

"What?" It seemed to Hinata, that Yamaguchi had no idea why Hinata was so stunned, not even an inkling.

"You're wearing a skirt!" Hinata said. And it was true. Yamaguchi wore a green skirt that stopped just above the knee, along with a white tank top with a triceratops and the words "save the dinos" written on it, and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

"Oh, yeah." Yamaguchi glanced down with a frown as if he'd forgotten.

"The hell does it matter if he's wearing a skirt," Tsukkishima jeered, and his ever-present frown seemed more severe than usual.

"It doesn't!" Hinata said quickly, flailing his arms as if expecting to be hit. "I was just surprised, that's all. I thought he was a girl when I first saw you guys... um... why _are_ you wearing a skirt Yamaguchi?"

Yamaguchi looked back at Hinata with a shrug. "They're comfortable, especially when it's really hot out like today. I used to be too self-conscious to wear them out of the house, but Tsukki says they look good on me, and if Tsukki likes it, I thought I don't really care about anyone else." Yamaguchi smiled awkwardly, squinting his eyes almost shut, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess it is kinda weird though..."

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukki said, then glared down at Hinata. "The squirt's only jealous because he couldn't dream to pull off that look like you can. You don't need to feel embarrassed just because _he_ doesn't have enough good looks for people to ignore that empty head of his."

Hinata growled and glared at Tsukkishima while Yamaguchi chastised his friend half-heartedly, knowing that he could point out Tsukki's rude behavior a million times, and Hinata thought he probably had, considering how long the two had known each other, but it still wouldn't change.

—2—

Tsukkishima always had those clunky headphones around his neck, and Hinata thought that they were as much an excuse to keep people from talking to him as they were for listening to music, which is how I use headphones, too. Hinata had no trouble recalling several occasions when he'd tried to talk to Tsukkishima, only for that asshole to put those headphones over his ears, and entirely ignore him.

To Hinata, the headphones Tsukkishima wore were just a fixture. Unless the boys were playing volleyball, they were there, and Hinata didn't give them much thought except to be annoyed when Tsukkishima used them to ignore everyone. The first time he saw _Yamaguchi_ with earbuds in, however, Hinata took note. It was the beginning of lunch break, and Hinata was just passing by on his way to the courtyard when he noticed that Yamaguchi was alone, and Tsukkishima was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Yamaguchi, are you listening to music?" Hinata asked.

"Sorry, were you talking to me, Hinata?" he asked, pulling out one earbud, when he saw Hinata walking up to him, mouth moving, and read his name on Hinata's lips. Yamaguchi was about seven million times nicer than Tsukkishima, not that it was hard to be, I mean even I'm nicer than Tsukkishima... sometimes.

"I was just wondering what kind of music you listen to," Hinata said.

"You wanna listen, too?" Yamaguchi asked, wiping an earbud on his sleeve and offering it to Hinata, who nodded and accepted it curiously. Hinata had guessed that Yamaguchi would like gentler music than what he heard, like maybe pop or sappy love songs or something. Needless to say he was more than a bit surprised when, upon contact with Yamaguchi's earbud, his ears were assaulted with heavy-metal music, he jumped back, and the earbud popped out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting that," Hinata said, eyes wide. "I didn't think you were the type to like music like that."

"I just think it sounds cool, and the bands and music videos are always outrageous, which I like, too," Yamaguchi explained with a shrug.

"So have you always liked death metal, Yamaguchi?"

"Pretty much... well I was in maybe fifth grade when I discovered it, so since then I guess. I used to be embarrassed since I don't exactly have the look, you know. 'Cause a lot of people who like metal have those outrageous looks with the spikes, and eyeliner, and black leather and stuff, and even though I think that looks cool, it's not really for me."

"You don't seem embarrassed by it now."

"You're right... I guess... after Tsukki found out and made fun of me, I kinda got more comfortable with it. Just because I don't have a heavy-metal look, doesn't mean I can't like the music, right."

"Yeah!" Hinata agreed enthusiastically, then confusion took over his face, eyebrows pulled together, and mouth drawn into a frown, and he sunk onto Yamaguchi's desk and tilted his head to look up at him. "Wait... I don't get how Tsukkishima making fun of you would make you less embarrassed though..."

"What do you—oh... well, I guess the way I said it was kind of misleading. Tsukki didn't make fun of me for liking the music, he just told me it was really dumb of me to be embarrassed about liking something just because it's not what people expect. We were talking about music, and I was really shy when I told him I liked metal, and I think what he said was something along the lines of 'music is cool, so being embarrassed to like it is lame.'"

"Does Tsukkishima really like music, then?" Yamaguchi nodded. "He always wears those headphones on his neck, but I always thought that was more about hating people than liking music."

"Well, it's sort of about that too." Yamaguchi chuckled.

"What kind of music does Tsukkishima like?"

"Tsukki likes a whole bunch of different types of music, but he mostly listens to soundtracks because no matter how different one soundtrack is from another they all have distinct feelings and emotions tied to them. Also because he listens to music while he studies, and if it has lyrics he can get caught up in the song and stop focusing on his work."

"Really?" Hinata's whole face seemed to stretch as if that was the most incredible thing he'd ever heard. "I didn't take him for the type to be distracted by _anything_."

"It's only sometimes," Yamaguchi admitted. "But still, it's kinda funny."

"You know what else, though?" Hinata was about to say that he couldn't picture Tsukkishima encouraging someone else in regards to their interests, but before he had the chance, Tsukkishima himself walked into the classroom.

"Hey Tsukki! Finished carrying those books for Mrs. Moriyama?" Yamaguchi said cheerfully.

"Obviously," Tsukkishima scoffed, stopping at Yamaguchi's desk and glaring at Hinata. "Is this little runt making a nuisance of himself again?"

"Nah, we were just talking about music."

"Oh really?" Tsukkishima side-eyed Yamaguchi for a moment, before returning his gaze to Hinata, who now felt quite distinctly as though he was an unwanted intruder, even though he had been there first. "Did you subject his poor eardrums to your deafening scream-o music, then?" Yamaguchi laughed. Hinata wouldn't have laughed if _he_ was the one being made fun of. Hadn't Yamaguchi said that Tsukkishima _liked_ his taste in music? Well not exactly, but still.

"You shouldn't insult people's music like that!" Hinata defended his friend. Even if it Hinata did find it hard to listen to, even if Yamaguchi was laughing, that didn't make it okay.

"And you shouldn't bother people when they're listening to music," Tsukkishima shot back. "Why don't you go toss that precious ball of yours around with the other brainless oaf."

"Better than spending any more time around you!" Hinata shot to his feet and stormed out of the room, heading to the courtyard. "Mean old sucky-shima."

—3—

"I'm _way_ more flexible than you Kageyama!" Hinata shouted as Tsukkishima and Yamaguchi walked into the gym together. They were arguing again, as they often were, Hinata and Kageyama that is... I can't recall an instance of an argument like this between the other two, but for Hinata and Kageyama, I'd go so far as to say that fights like this one were their primary method of showing affection.

"No way," Kageyama retorted. "But don't worry, flexibility isn't that important to play volleyball anyway."

"I challenge you, Kageyama!" Hinata pointed at him severely. "I'll totally prove I'm more flexible during stretches today!"

"Don't hurt yourselves," Tsukkishima said. "I'm not sure that your frail bodies will always be able to go along with these harebrained contests of yours."

"Hey! My body's not frail," Kageyama argued.

"Speak for both of us, Bakayama," Hinata grumbled while Tsukkishima rolled his eyes and Yamaguchi covered his mouth to hide a chuckle.

"Enough of that!" Daichi clapped his hands together for the team's attention. "We're all here, so let's get to stretching."

Hinata tried his hardest, he really did, but Kageyama's splits were just a little bit wider, his toe touches a few centimeters deeper. It made him angry, and the fact that Kageyama was beating him by such a small margin every time only made it worse.

"Looks like I win again, Hinata." Kageyama smirked.

"I'll beat you next time!" Hinata assured, pointing a finger at the smug setter once again.

"I don't see why you're making a big deal about it," Tsukkishima said offhandedly, adjusting his glasses. "He may have beaten _you_ , but Yamaguchi's more flexible than either of you. His majesty is really nothing special at all."

"What are you talking about? Yamaguchi's not more flexible." Kageyama frowned and glared at Tsukkishima. To some he might have sounded rude, but Hinata knew he was just confused and bad with words, and maybe a little upset about the nickname, so he ignored him.

"Are you really flexible Yamaguchi?" Hinata asked. "I didn't think your stretches were that much different than the rest of us."

"Well, like Kageyama said, you don't need a lot of flexibility for volleyball," Yamaguchi told him, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Stretches are to get us warmed up and prevent injuries, so there's no need to go to your absolute limit."

"So are you flexible, like Tsukkishima says? Or was he just being mean?"

"Well, I guess I'm pretty flexible..."

"Will you show us?" Hinata's eyes were wide with curiosity and admiration.

"Oh! Um... alright..." Yamaguchi rolled his shoulders and shook out his legs for a moment, then toed off his volleyball shoes so he was only wearing his socks, and slid down into perfect splits.

Not looking up to see Hinata's dumbfounded expression, Yamaguchi slid his legs around clockwise to demonstrate his equally excellent straddle splits, then leaned back, brought his legs together and pushed himself up into a bridge position, his fingertips mere inches from his ankles, before bringing his legs back over his body until he was in a regular toe touch, hands still flat on the floor, and standing up straight again.

"Holy crap, Yamaguchi?" Tanaka remarked, staring stunned at the first year, along with the rest of the volleyball club, teachers and managers included. "Have you been holding out on us or _what_?

"That's amazing Yamaguchi! You're like as flexible as a snake!" Noya shouted.

"How'd you do that?" Hinata asked, eyes sparkling. "Can you teach me?"

"Now hold on there squirt, that kind of flexibility don't come overnight," Coach Ukai stepped in to save his lame-brained child from pulled ligaments. "I am kinda curious how Yamaguchi got to that level, though. That's really impressive, kid."

"Oh, thanks... too bad it doesn't help me with volleyball all that much, though."

"Seriously though, Yamaguchi, how did you do that?" Noya asked.

"Oh, well I've been doing mixed dance for almost five years..." he answered. "Our moms made me and Tsukki go back in sixth grade."

"So does that mean Tsukkishima is flexible like that too?" Hinata asked, turning his twinkling gaze onto the blond.

"No way," Tsukkishima snapped, leering at him.

"Dance is probably the only think I'm better at than Tsukki." Yamaguchi laughed at Tsukkishima's response. "He quit after less than a year, and I was gonna quit too, but he told me that if I liked doing it, I shouldn't quit just because of him—actually I think he said it was stupid to always follow what others were doing, and that I should think for myself, but from Tsukki that basically means the same thing—so I stuck with it. Now I know a bunch of different types of dances, and since flexibility is important for a lot of dances, I got pretty good at that too."

"Wait, _Tsukkishima_ told you to keep doing something you enjoyed?" Tanaka asked. "That doesn't sound right. I thought he hated enthusiasm of any kind."

"He just doesn't think you should put a hundred percent of your energy into one thing," Yamaguchi explained. "It's better to enjoy lots of things, and live life to the fullest."

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukkishima said. And for just a moment, a fraction of a second, Hinata thought that Tsukkishima actually looked embarrassed.

"Sorry Tsukki." Yamaguchi smiled. "Let's get back to practice, yeah?"

Those two confused Hinata like exclamation points in math. They were so different. Yamaguchi was nice, and friendly, and a good person, and Tsukkishima had the personality of an over salted slug that lived in a dumpster, but somehow they were really good friends. They... complimented each other or something, and even Hinata could see it. It didn't make any sense, but it was there, plain as day.   
  


—+1—

"You don't have dance today, right?" Hinata heard Tsukkishima say through the door of the clubroom. He'd gone back to grab a notebook that he'd left there. He'd been worried that it might be locked, but when he heard Tsukkishima's voice he paused. He really didn't want to run into Tsukkishima if he could avoid it, but he needed those notes to pass science. He took a deep breath and placed a hand on the doorknob, but what he heard next made him stop dead.

"That's right," Yamaguchi confirmed. "You wanna do something tonight?"

"I was just thinking it's been a while since went on a date," Tsukkishima said. "What do you think about dinner and a movie tonight?"

"Sounds good to me," Yamaguchi agreed amiably. "Why don't we do the movie at my house. I can tell you're kind of peopled out for today, and I don't want you to pitch a fit if someone starts talking during the movie."

"I wouldn't pitch a fit." Hinata could hear Yamaguchi's laughter. "But... movie at your house sounds nice." Wait, was Tsukkishima saying something was nice.

"Oh, I just remembered my mom's working the night shift, so if you want we can Netflix and chill." Hinata blushed, and jumped back from the door as Yamaguchi's laughter continued louder. He didn't want to hear anymore. There were some things that one really does not need to know about their teammates' personal lives. He could pick up his notebook tomorrow morning.

He sprinted down the stairs, hoping against hope that Yamaguchi and Tsukkishima didn't hear his hasty retreat. He tried desperately not to think when he unlocked his bike and mounted it, starting on the ride home, but it didn't really work.

His good friend Yamaguchi was dating his grudging acquaintance Tsukkishima, the biggest meanie, bully, jerk-face that Hinata knew. How could he think of anything else?

It seemed like an impossible shock when he first found out, but as he biked home over the mountain, the pieces started to click. Yamaguchi always took Tsukkishima's advice and praise to heart, more than anyone else's, and Tsukkishima took Yamaguchi's words to heart too, like when Yamaguchi chewed him out for not trying hard enough.

They also seemed to understand each other better than anyone else, and even though Tsukkishima was always telling him to shut up, Yamaguchi always laughed, like it wasn't rude, but funny. It also made sense now why Yamaguchi called him Tsukki, and moreover why Tsukkishima let him. Hinata had tried to call him Tsukki once, and the resulting reaction made him fear for his life.

It shouldn't have been surprising at all really, Hinata realized, thighs starting to burn as he approached the top of the hill, pedaling hard, and trying to breath steadily. Looking back, it should have been completely obvious how much they cared about each other, how much they valued each other.

Maybe that was what everybody was thinking when they assumed that he was dating Kageyama. Well not _everybody_ , but he knew a few people thought that because Kenma had asked him about it at one of the Tokyo training camps. They kinda complimented each other like that too, now that he thought of it. Of course, unlike Yamaguchi and Tsukkishima, Hinata would never date Kageyama, obviously. He would rather date Tsukkishima, or an alligator, than Kageyama... well maybe not Tsukkishima, but an alligator would definitely be preferable.

But why was he thinking about stupid Kageyama now? He focused on the road in front of him, on not crashing and getting injured as he started to glide down the other side of the hill.

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun, but it was actually kinda hard finding good headcanons for sweet Yams that would actually be surprising. The first one came from fanart I saw of Yams in a skirt, the second was from a Tumblr list of headcanons that were like, unrealistic, but you can't prove that Tsukki doesn't wear a full-body inflatable T-rex costume every Halloween, and the third one came from my little sister. I asked for a surprising headcanon and she said, "he does either ballet or breakdancing", and it kind of blossomed from there. Hope you liked it, and if you did, drop a comment, and maybe I'll pick it up for you. Idk, that metaphor kinda fell apart there, but whatever. Love y'all.
> 
> <3 Raaor!


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